Tolerance cannot be measured in terms of degrees of intolerance. I am essentially opposed to burning books even when they incite others to violence. But freedom is either an absolute or it is conditioned on not inciting others to violence. Anything else is rationalized bigotry.

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Israel’s Release of 104 Palestinian Murderers

'We had to choose between a bad
decision and an even worse one,'these
were the word spoken by Defense minister Moshe Yaalon today, justified by hints
that secret deals had been made, either with the USA or Palestinians.

The lone consolation we can ease
from the deep fissures of despair caused by the staged release of nationalist
murderers is that this is a political decision that neither Israelis nor any
one else can influence, for now.

In principle it may be that some
of the incarcerated psychopaths will do no harm on their release into Arab
society. But some people would
persuasively argue that Arab society encourages the sociopath and therefore,
what we regard as deeply repugnant behaviour is, within Arab society, a social
norm. It is in the response to this
discordance between Islam (the blanket around which the Arab world has chosen
to wrap itself) and the West that Israel as an outpost of Western
Civilization has failed to creatively respond.

In recent blogs I have criticized
Israel’s founding fathers
for their failure to integrate Israel’s
Arab and ultra-orthodox minorities into society. Assuming that an Arab fifth
column would need to be assimilated at some time in the unknowable future and
that the ultra-orthodox would simply die out as the logic of superior secular
culture enveloped them, has proven to be incredibly myopic.

Israeli Arabs have no support
network within Israeli society to support them against Arab extremists who
refuse to countenance co-existence with the Jews (Israelis).Islamic triumphalists agitate for an Arab
apartheid mini-state that will progressively undermine Israel.It is Israel’s failure to undertake
robust action against any individual or organization that does battle against minority
integration that has shaped today’s terrible situation.And the government of Israel will now
release more people who undermine the authority of the state into communities
that will become even more radicalized by their presence.

A quote from Ynet today: “As talks
resume in Washington,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says 'In a final resolution, we would not
see the presence of a single Israeli - civilian or soldier - on our lands'....”
I have no problems with that, but I do have a response:

First: the Islamic world,
particularly the Arab world has shown itself to be fundamentally incapable of
honoring the cultural heritage of other races or religious groups throughout
its 1,400 year history. In areas ruled by Palestinians, trust is wholly absent
and respect non-existent. There is not a single reason to believe that this
bigotry can be cured or controlled in an independent Palestine.Jewish and Christian holy sites have often been targeted for desecration
and destruction. The United Nations Organisation can never be trusted to
assuage our concerns.All areas of
archaeological and religious interest that come under Palestinian oversight
will have to be internationalized and even that will not guarantee religious
freedom or security for Jews and Christians.

Second: If Palestine
is to be ‘Jew free’ then it is only just that Israel be free of all people who
desire to classify themselves as Palestinian rather than Israeli.It is after all, a declaration of
identification, of personal as well as national fealty.

I have two issues with the
release of Arab murderers as a pre-condition for the restarting of peace talks.

The essence of sovereignty is the
right of the nation to make decisions in its own defense. And that includes the
right to lock up those who kill, for whatever reason.Once the State takes the decision that
Israeli Arab activities are outside of State jurisdiction then it also declares
that its sovereignty is conditional. Therefore, it is no longer an independent
nation.

I am not concerned that Palestine and Gaza will
take to their collective bosom those who commit murder with a bliss that
broaches not a moment of shame but that Israel will absorb up to 14 of
these deeply sick individuals.Their
hatred contaminates the very air that their Israeli Arab neighbours
breathe.Their physical presence
pollutes any free space that they inhabit.

The bigots will point out that Israel also had
its terrorists in the struggle for independence. But as Ben-Dror Yemini wrote
in Ma’ariv on the 28th of July ‘….somebody always pops up to repeat
the lie that the Jews who fought the Mandate were also terrorists.A half-truth is worse than a lie, because
there was terrorism in the struggle against the British, but it was uncharacteristic.Most of the Yishuv opposed it.The Yishuv did not support it and did not
finance it.For the Palestinians, the
murderers are heroes.’ The Palestinians honor them, they throw huge amounts of
money at them, they immortalize them.

Goodwill gestures are meaningless
if they fail to carry the people with them. A recent poll found that 88% of the
Jewish population is opposed to the release of these murderers as a
precondition for restarting negotiations. Previous swaps were supported by a
majority of Jews.

3 comments:

I fully share your views on the proposed release of 104 terrorists. I agree that their release and return to the fold will only serve to further poison an already poisoned society spewing anti-Israel rhetoric - and worse. I agree that Netanyahu owes an explanation; a believable and cogent explanation to his nation. The release of 104 terrorists is an 'obamination'!

Unfortunately this the only language that the Palestinians understand.....I am not in favour of it - and I am sure Netanyahu isn;t - but goes to show just what the Jewish State is willing to do to negogiate peace - as well as please the USA!!

The only thing that can be done is introduce the death sentence, and we're not going to do that! Every time Israel releases security prisoners with blood on their hands, it is a humiliation to the rest of the world! As an Israeli, I can't get over it, and can't seem to lift my heavy head from the downward position it assumes! The Palestinians are laughing at us,and they certainly respect us no more for agreeing to the release of their people.